Blade holder



Nov. 21, 1933.

w. B. HAY BLADE HOLDER Original Filed April 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0W kras.

gyn/vanto@ W. B. HAY

BLADE HOLDER Nov. 21, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 17 1951 JO H Patented Nov. 21, 1933 il F F ICE BLADE HOLDER William B. Hay, Portland, Maine Application April 17, 1931. Serial No. 530,985

Renewed July 13, 1933 .2 claims. (c1. sii-zic) This invention relates to a hand tool or device for holding razor blades to enable efcient stropping thereof. It has as an essential object the provision of a blade holder which is adaptable ior maintaining in gripped relation either double edged blades or blades of the single edge type.

Y Another' Vobject of the invention is the provision of ablade holder which is simple and rugged in construction, being formed of pressed metal Aju) parts and which can be made up at an exceedingly lo-w manufacturing cost.

. Other objects of the invention include the provision of aY blade holder provided with guide means Yfor insuring proper disposition of the device'inrelation to a strop with which the same is employed; the provision of a blade holder having means detachably associated therewith for rendering the holder adaptable to different types .ofrazor blades; the provision of an improved blade holder having a hinged portion cooperable with the body thereof for clamping a razor blade therebetween; and the provision ci novel structural details in blade holders of this general type.

The embodimentsdisclosed herein constitute .i the preferred structural arrangements by which the invention is reduced to practice at the present time. It is intended that the details shown and described shall not constitute limitations inconsistentv with the scope of the invention as V3() claimed. o A

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of a blade holder constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the holder in open position. Y Figure 2 is a topplan view thereof with the holder in' closed positionand having a double edged blade secured therein.

Figures 3 and 4 aretransverse sections respectively on thelines 3 3 andy 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 1 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through one end of the holder of Figure 2.

yFigure 6 is a plan view illustrating the manner of mounting a double edged blade within the holder. y

.Figure lis a side elevation of an alternative blade holder construction. v

Figure 8is a group perspective of a latch means employed in connection with the structure shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 .is a fragmentary plan View illustrating another alternative embodiment of the invention wherein a clamping element is hinged for swinging movement laterally ci the holder body. Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan of the holder having a blade of the straight edge type mounted therein. Y Y

Figure 1l isa transverse section on the line 11-1-1 of Figure 10. Figures 12 and 13 are perspectives of different typesof spline members employed in connection with the holder icrysecuring therein different types of double edged blades.

Figure lll is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a holder constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the details of an alternative form or" latch. Y

1n all forms ci the structure as shown in Figures, 1, 2, l and 9 the holder is formed of a main body portion comprising a straight pressed metal strip 15 iormed substantially in the shape of a shallow V to provide diver-ging sides 16 and 17 having flat edge flanges 18 and 19 respectively.

The handle consists of a similar metal strip portion 20, preferably of counterpart formation to the base 15, and having its ilat edge flanges 21 and 22 suitably united to the respective edge .anges 18 and 19 of the base 15. The portion 20 is disposed over the base 15 to extend thereover from one end to substantially the center ci the device forming together with the base porti n 15 the handle by which the device is manipulated.

Adjacent the opposite end of the device but spaced slightly inward from the extremity thereof the base portion 15 is crimped to provide an outwardly directed perpendicular guiderib 23.

The provision of this guide rib is present in all structural embodiments or" the invention. In addition to the presence of the guide rib 23, the base portion 15 in all structural embodiments of the formed with longitudinally spaced and transversely aligned inwardly clamped retaining lugs 24, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. These stop lugs are disposed in the blade holding section of the device, being located between theguide rib 23 and the inner edge of the upper section of the handle portion 20.

1n the structural embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 the base l5 has hinged to its outer end beyond the guide rib 23 a clamping section 25 of counterpart formation with respect to the base 15 and having nat edge flanges 26 and 27 which respectively overlie the flanges 18 and 19 of the base portion when the clamping section 25 is swung downwardly into closed position. The iianges 26 and 27 of the clamping section are crimped at the points 28 to take over the crimped ribs 2li on the side edges of the base portion. At its inner edge the clamping section 25 is provided with a keeper 29 which when the section is in closed position abuts a keeper 30 provided on the inner edge of the handle portion 20, the clamped section being secured in clamping position by a sliding thumb latch 3l carried by the handle porpass through the keepers 29 and 30 when they are brought into abutting relation. The clamping section 25 is provided with an outwardly directed perpendicular crimped rib 32 forming a guide for invention has its side edge flanges 18 and '195:90

tion 20 and having a tongue which is adapted to 5115 cooperation with the stropping means with which the holder is to be employed.

As shown in Figures 10 and ll, when the holder is employed in connection with a single edge type of blade, the blade is positioned with its enlarged head 33 disposed inwardly of the holder and substantially engaging the oppositely inclined faces 16 and 17 of the base portion with the shank 34 of the blade overlying one of the side edges 18 or 19 and projecting beyond the holder at one side. The blade is positioned between the spaced stop members 24 so that substantial longitudinal movement of the blade with respect to the holder is arrested upon contact with the stop means. With the blade in position as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the clamping section 25 is swung down and the latch 31 engaged with the keepers 29 and 30. The at edge flanges 26 and 27 of the clamping section will overlie the shank of the blade and form a positive clamp for maintaining 'the blade rigidly mounted in position in the holder. At the same time the oppositely inclined faces of the clamping section 25 cooperate with the inclined faces 16 and 17 of the base portion 15 to effect a four point clamping engagement with the head 33 of the blade, thus securely positioning the blade against any movement laterally within the holder.

In order to accommodate double edged blades within the holder an attachment in the nature of a spline is provided by which the blades are positioned against movement within the holder. Two forms of spline are shown in Figures 12 and 13 wherein, in Figure 12 the spline comprises a flat metal plate 35 provided with an upstanding longitudinally disposed central rib 36 which is of a height and length suflicient to engage the conventional central slot with which blades of the double edge type are usually provided. As some double edged blades are merely formed with spaced apertures the form of spline illustrated in Figure 13 is used instead of the spline 35. As shown in Figure 13 the spline comprises the flat metal strip 37 having'up-struck lugs 38 arranged on one face thereof in properly spaced relation to engage through corresponding apertures in the particular type of double edged blade with which this form of spline is to be associated.

As a means of anchoring the spline in position in the holder the base portion 15 at its apex is provided with up-struck lugs 39 which are directed inwardly and which are formed at their extremity with inturned lips 40 arranged in the same hori- Zontal plane and in parallel relation with respect to the apex of the base portion 15. The lugs 39 are spaced apart a' distance corresponding to the length of the spline member so that the spline is positioned by springing the same into engagement with the lugs 39 beneath the inturned lips 40, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 5.

In this position of the spline longitudinal movement is resisted by Contact against the holding lugs 39 and the side edges of the spline are seated on the respective inclined faces 16 and 17 of the base portion whereby lateral movement is prevented. There may also be a slight frictional engagement against the holding lugs 39 by reason of the inherent resiliency possessed by the metal from which the spline base strips 35 and 37 are formed.

As illustrated in Figure 6, with the spline 35 inVpositi-on the double edged blade 41 is seated thereover with the holding rib 36 extending upwardly through the central longitudinal slot with which this type of blade is provided. The presence of the holding rib 36 prevents lateral movement of the blade with respect to the holder and in those instances where the blade slot is longer than the holding rib length substantial longitudinal movement of the blade is resisted by the stop means 24. With the clamping section in 8O proper position the shank of the blade is rigidly clamped between the corresponding side edges of the clamping section and the base portion.

In the alternative construction shown in Figures 7 and 8 the clamping section 25 diifers only 85 from the clamping section 25 yof the form shown in Figure 1 in that it is hinged to the handle portion 20 at its inner end, thus providing a central hinge upon which the clamping section is swung. In this form the latch means for the clamping section consists of a T head latch 42 hinged as at 43 to the outer extremity of the clamping section and disposed for engagement in a recess 44 provided in a keeper ledge 45 formed?, on the extremity of the base portion V15. In theg alternative construction shown in Figure 9 the clamping section 25 corresponds substantially to the clamping sections 25 and 25 except that it is pivoted as at 46 at its outer end to swingllaterally with respect to the base portion. In this" form of construction the swinging clamping section 25 is maintained in properly clamped relation in alignment with the handle portion 20 by the engagement thereover of a slip ring 47 slid.l able upon the handle portion for disposition over '105 the meeting ends of the handle portion and the swinging clamping section.

The alternative latch structure details illustrated in Figure 14 may replace any of the latch, means hereinbefore described, except that shown in Figure 7, and in this embodiment the latch comprises a spring clip 48 attached to the inner face of a clamping section C and which is substantially looped at one end to project beneath` the adjacent edge of a handle portionY H. The looped portion or tongue 49 terminates in an up-standing lug 50, which projects above the surface of the clamped portion C for manipulation by the nger of an operator whereby the latching. tongue 49 may be retracted suiiciently to disen-v 120 gage the latch and permit the clamping section to be swung open. In this structural embodiment it is to be understood that the clamping section C and the handle portion I-I may be any of the.- handle portions or clamping sections hereinbefore described. Y

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the angle of inclination of the oppositely inclined side faces of the base portion. and the clamping sectionthroughout all forms of the invention is such that with the device engaged with a stropping element the blade will be positioned at the proper angle for greatest efciency in stropping. The apex of the bottom. portion and the clamping section isslightly 135 rounded to provide for an easy sliding movement of the blade holder over the strop with which it is employed and by reason of the opposite inclination of the sides, especially inthe-case ofdouble edged blades, the blade holder may be reciprocated over the face of the stropping member without lifting the same from engagement therewith.

It is also a feature of the invention that the M5 height of the lugs 39 is such that the inturned lips 40 are disposed beneath the plane occupied by the side edges of the base portion. This provides a clearance which accommodates the disposition of the enlarged head 33 when a blade 15g such as the single edge type is inserted in the holder.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal blade holder comprising a substantially trough shaped base, a blade clamping section disposed thereon for movement thereover to clamp a razor blade between said base portion and clamping section, retaining tongues struck up from the trough of said base portion in spaced relation longitudinally thereof, and means detachably associated with said retaining tongues for effecting positive engagement with a razor blade clamped between said base portion and clamping section.

2. A sheet metal holder for razor blades, comprising a pair of complemental hinged sections formed as shallow troughs, means for securing said sections together to clamp a blade therebetween, each section having at lateral and outwardly directed side edge flanges for bearing against blade faces, longitudinally spaced sockets crimped in the edge flanges of one section, lugs crimped in the edge ilanges of the other section to seat in said sockets, a plate detachably engaged in the trough of one section and having means thereon for positioning a razor blade with a cutting edge thereof projecting at one side of the holder between the edge ange lugs.

WILLIAM B. HAY. 

